In 2013 the Canadian artist Kelly Jazvac and a geologist Patricia Corcoran discovered a new form of stone: they called it plastiglomerate, congealed masses of plastic waste merged with oceanic lava rock, coral, and sediment.

Each year, the lion's share of mercury poison comes from burning more than 8.3 billion tons of coal to provide energy for electricity grids. As a result of this insatiable addiction to coal, mercury toxicity has tripled in our oceans to over 80,000 tons of poison. Eighty-four percent of fish tested are laced with methyl-mercury.

Supporting our culture of convenience is a pervasive material that, while seemingly harmless in our car's cup holders, actually does so much damage to our planet. But it is not an issue to be taken lightly anymore.

With each potential discovery our hopes were raised only for the authorities and the media to casually inform us the debris or oil slicks were not from a plane but sea trash and oil slicks. The media's nonchalance and our societal indifference is hardly surprising but astoundingly scary.

Despite the many benefits Oceans are facing vast extinction from multiple stresses according to several marine experts from around the world. Primary threats include: ocean acidification, climate change, ocean pollution, and unsustainable fishing practices.

As is the case with many career paths, my journey toward joining Ocean Conservancy as President and CEO is a long and circuitous one, and it begins with a childhood spent playing along the Rhine River in Cologne, Germany.